An anti-nuclear lawmaker broke a taboo, drawing heavy criticism in Japan, by handing the Emperor a letter of concern over the issue of the growing Fukushima radiation and the impact on children’s health.

Taro Yamamoto, an independent lawmaker at the Tokyo prefecture in
the House of Councilors, the upper house of the Japanese
parliament, personally handed the letter to Emperor Akihito
during a party at the Akasaka Palace’s imperial garden on
Thursday.

The vocal anti-nuclear activist said that he wanted to inform the
Emperor “directly” of the crisis at the Fukushima nuclear
plant north of Tokyo. The Tohoku earthquake that hit off Japan’s
Pacific coast in March 2011 triggered a tsunami that damaged
nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi. Since then the plant
has been leaking radioactivity leading to the evacuation of more
than 150 000 people. The land surrounding the plant has been
off-limits due to high radiation that can cause cancer and other
health problems.

"I wanted him to know about
the children who have been contaminated by radiation. If this
goes on, there will be serious health
impacts,"said Yamamoto.

Emperor Akihito inclined his head as he took the letter in his
hand but then handed it to a chamberlain, said Yamamoto adding
that His Imperial Majesty made no comment.

The politician’s initiative set off a storm of protest in the
Japanese media with many saying that his action was inappropriate
breaking the “taboo” of involving a member of the
Imperial Family in politics.

Some critical netizens called on Yamamoto to resign from
parliament calling his action “really low."

Chief cabinet secretary, Yasuhide Suga, also expressed
disapproval, telling a news conference, "There is a line
for appropriate behavior at such an occasion".

The Emperor in Japan fills a ceremonial role. According to the
first article of the postwar constitution, the emperor is “the
symbol of the State and of the unity of the people, deriving his
position from the will of the people with whom resides sovereign
power." While the Japanese parliament - the Diet – remains
the highest organ of state power, the emperor usually convenes
it. His Majesty also bestows decorations on deserving citizens
and receives foreign ambassadors.

The politician’s concern comes as the Tokyo Electric Power
Company (TEPCO), the operator of the crippled Fukushima nuclear
plant responsible for the decontamination, struggles to cope with
the aftermath of the nuclear crisis.

At the beginning of October the combined Cesium-134 and
Cesium-137 readings just outside the damaged No. 2 reactor jumped
to 1,200 becquerels per liter, the highest levels of radiation recorded since
late 2011.

In attempts to tackle the problem, the Japanese government is
reportedly considering stripping the Fukushima nuclear operator
of the responsibility to decontaminate the devastated station,
while handing the issue and decommissioning of reactors from
TEPCO to a government-affiliated organization. (link)

Amid rising concerns, UN scientists said that traces of
radioactive contamination have been found in rice, and far out in
the Pacific Ocean.

Nuclear power expert, Arnold Gundersen, told RT that the health
risks are great and continue to increase every year.

“Somewhere between 100,000 to 1,000,000 [people] will over the
next thirty years get cancer from this accident...1,000
additional cancers a year from eating fish from the Pacific.”